It's True -- Coffee is Good for You

As I was savoring a cup of my delicious amaretto almond coffee this morning, I stumbled upon an interesting article, which was published in this month's edition of Eating Well Magazine. Over 18,000 studies on coffee have been published in the past few decades, revealing many benefits to those who drink it. According to the article, there are FIVE reasons you shouldn't stop drinking java (see below). I love this study!!! 

1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1-3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.

2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43% Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.

4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 mg of caffeine—about the amount in 16 oz of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.

Fast Food vs. Wine

I've never been much of a fast food person, but give me a glass of vino and I'm in heaven!  I usually review a couple of new varieties each month. The problem is that I'm the only wine aficionado in our house and, thus, am solely responsible for consuming the uncorked bottles before the oxidation process ruins them. Despite my exercise repertoire, my waistline didn't budge last month, presumably due to all of the lovely bottles people gave us as gifts during the housewarming party, and glasses consumed to celebrate our anniversary and Valentine's Day.

So...I decided I need to refrain from my biweekly purchases if there's any hope of being in bikini shape by April. (Don't worry friends, I won't deprive myself of the occasional glass if I'm out to dinner.) This is all a very convoluted way of getting to the point of today's post -- this article, which certainly supports my decision.

Who would've thought that 3 1/2 glasses of wine have the caloric content of one greasy, stomach curdling In-N-Out burger (390 cal)? What about 1 1/4 bottles of chardonnay amounting to Taco Bell's taco salad with salsa (775 cal)? Wine is so smooth that you tend to forget its calorie content. Well, Food & Wine, thanks for the reminder...lesson learned!

ABCs of Me

I've seen a lot of other bloggies with this post, so I decided to join the crowd.

A. Age: 31

B. Bed size: Queen with a Vera Wang pillowtop mattress. Thanks Old Brick!

C. Chore you dislike: Laundry, scrubbing the toilet, washing the floors

D. Dogs: Buster as if you haven't heard about my adorable English Bullie 100 times

E. Essential start to your day: Coffee, cranberry juice and some form of whole grain (oatmeal, cereal, or granola bar)

F. Favorite color: Purple, fuschia is a close second

G. Gold or silver: Used to be only gold, but I've gradually been incorporating some silver pieces into my lineup. All of the jewelry that I hold near and dear to my heart, however, is gold or gold/platinum.

H. Height: 5’8″

I. Instruments you play(ed): The flute until 8th grade when I transferred to a private school that didn't have a band. I always wanted to learn the piano.

J. Job title: Senior Court Attorney

K. Kids: Does Buster count? Hopefully, human ones in the near future

L. Live: Schodack (upstate NY)

M. Mom’s name: Lorraine

N. Nicknames: Deitzl, Diesel, Deitzie, LDizzle, LWoww, and a ton more that I'm forgetting

O. Overnight hospital stays: None, thank God

P. Pet peeves: Misuse of your, you're; they're, there, their; the word a'int (if it's even a word); messy handwriting

Q. Quote from a movie: Jack Byrnes from Meet the Parents (Robert Deniro's character) "I have nipples, Greg, could you milk me?"

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: Chris, Julie and Eric, can you guess which one is my favorite? :-o

T. Time you wake up: Weekdays: 6:00-6:15AM; Weekends: usually between 7:30 and 8:30AM

U. Underwear: Yes, but not when running...love the built-in lining in running shorts.

V. Vegetables you don't like: Brussel sprouts, turnips

W. What makes you run late: Almost everything much to Jim's chagrin...it's in the Deitz genes he says. Examples are spending too much time on the Internet, drinking my coffee too slow, showering too long, blowdrying my hair too much.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth (obvs), don't think I've had any others.

Y. Yummy food you make: Chicken pesto, Jambalaya, turkey chili, all breakfast foods                               

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Elephants and gorillas because they are two of the most intelligent ones. Hate the snakes!

Birthday Celebration (Part II)!

On the BIG day, Jim and I woke up pretty early for an important meeting with our CPA since it is the first year we'll be filing taxes as a married couple -- eek!  Afterward, we went to Bruegger's and I had my favorite, a poppy seed bagel with olive and pimento cream cheese, plus a yummy cup of golden french toast coffee.





It was the perfect breakfast and made me wonder: why don't I ever stop at the Bruegger's near our house on weekends?  I used to love bagels from childhood all through college, but ever since I deemed them a bad carb and I've seemingly been missing out on one of my favorite breakfasts for nearly a decade.  Now, that I'm well into my early 30s, I think I'll make an effort not to deprive myself so much...everything in moderation, right?

Next, Jim indulged my desire for a LONG overdue first trip to Fresh Market, an upscale grocery store that opened in Latham this past year.  He was a little on the fence because he was worried that it would be all weird, organic, vegetarian stuff.  I, however, fell in love the minute I stepped in the door.  As for Jim, once he saw the gourmet salads and meats, he warmed up to the idea.  I think he was sold when  he noticed that the Irish soda bread was still warm as he placed  it in our shopping basket.  I decided to treat myself to some licorice mix (one of my fave things) for my birthday and Jim picked out
some pretty flowers for me.

As you can see, we came away with quite a spread.  After trying everything, I think my favorite is the amaretto almond coffee, seriously the best I've had in my life.  I've been saving it for weekends only in an effort to savor it...it's seriously that good.  The second and third runner-ups are the pesto pasta salad and chicken salad, respectively.  There will be MANY more weekend trips to Fresh Market in my future!

The loot!

Later that day, Jim presented me with my presents, a NintendoWii, which included two games, a car racing game and a steering wheel.  I was psyched!

I love opening presents!

We spent most of the rest of the day setting up the Wii and testing out our new games.  We even made a last minute trip to Target to buy another controller before consuming my scrumptious birthday cake, which was aptly named chocolate decadence (thanks Cooking Light).

Do you have specific birthday traditions, or enjoy different things each year?

Not So Snappy

     As my regular readers know, one of my goals for the New Year was maintain a more consistent exercise regimen, i.e. work out at least 4 times per week.  I’ve been really pleased with my progress on that front, but came to the realization that my treadmill workouts were boring me and I needed to switch it up a bit.  So, for the past month, I’ve been alternating between Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred DVD, running on the 'mill and Jillian’s Banish Fat Boost Metabolism DVD.  I've been loving how
I feel afterward.  Just like last year when I
was on a major 30DS kick in anticipation of
our wedding, my shoulders and arms are
already getting ripped!

     When I realized that I have to be in bikini shape for our trip to Maui and Kauai in seven weeks, I bought Jillian’s 6 Pack Abs in 6 Weeks DVD. The holiday season, Superbowl parties and Valentine’s Day sure didn’t do my waistline any favors. I tried Level 1 of 6 Pack Abs last night and could tell that my core was being tested like never before. Then, all of a sudden, as I was lying on the mat, I started to feel this snapping sensation in front of my hip. I noticed it was happening during certain parts of the circuit more than others, e.g. mountain climbers while in plank position and certain variations of leg raises.  It wasn’t so uncomfortable that I couldn’t finish the DVD, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant. As I walked upstairs to take a shower, I experienced pain in the same area and immediately thought “Oh no, please don’t let this derail my awesome progress just when I’m getting back into the swing of things.” 

     My nerves got the best of me (they always do) and I turned to the Internet. I’ve diagnosed myself with external snapping hip syndrome, which is common in athletes ages 15-40 and affects females slightly more than males. Dancers and gymnasts are especially prone to this condition.  The snapping results from the movement of the IT band as it passes from the outside of the hip over a large bump on the femur called the greater trochanter.  In short, if your IT band is too tight, it can be stretched like a rubber band over the greater trochanter creating the snapping and it may eventually lead to hip bursitis.

     Of course, I next wondered how can I prevent this from happening again and when can I exercise at full capacity? The primary prevention strategies are to stretch the area during your warm-up and condition your hip flexors. It is also wise to avoid leg lifts and flutter kicks – too bad I didn’t know this earlier :( The pain usually subsides in 6-8 weeks with appropriate stretches of the hip pirifomis and flexor. 

    Even though running and jumping isn’t recommended, I’m going to try to ease into a slow jog tomorrow and see how I feel. If I can make it a couple miles, then I will attempt Level 2 of the 30DS. Of course, I will do some major stretching before I jump on the old treadmill. If that doesn’t work and my new regimen is on the back burner for a few weeks, I’ll try to make the best of it by focusing on toning the upper body and toss in some old school sit ups for good measure. Send me healthy vibes!

     Have you ever experienced an injury or condition that affected your exercise routine? How did you handle it?

New Year's Resolutions

     Hello friends! Happy New Year's Eve! This year, I decided to create two separate lists of resolutions, one aimed toward my overall health and another focused on my personal life. I typically resolve to "work out more" or "tone up," but I think apathy sets in because I don't quantify my goals. You'll notice that, this year, I've tried to be more specific. I'm hoping to track my progress and report back on a quarterly basis. We'll see how it goes...without further adieu...

Health

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day
2. Run at least four days per week and average at least 50 miles per month
3. Get more sleep/go to bed earlier
4. Try yoga or Pilates
5. Eat at least one vegetable with dinner each night

Personal

1. Maintain more regular contact with friends
2. Be more spur of the moment
3. Try one new, higher-end restaurant with Jim each month
4. Plan seasonal day trips to places like New York, Boston, Newport, the Finger Lakes
5. Spend less time mindlessly surfing the web and devote more time to reading books

What are your New Year's resolutions? 

Healthy Recipe: Jambalaya

     This is one of Jim's favorite meals and I love the number of vegetables incorporated into the recipe.  It's a perfect dish during the cold, winter months. The best part is the prep time of 10 minutes, although it does simmer for about 35 minutes. It comes courtesy of the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook and can be made with any combination of beef, pork, chicken, sausage, ham or seafood. I've always used chicken.

The finished product!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs of skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 bunches scallions, white and green parts, chopped (reserve 2 tbs for garnish)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c whole-grain, quick cooking brown rice
• 1/8 tsp cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper (if you like it a little spicier, try 1/4 tsp)
• 2 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Following completion of steps 1-3

1. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. 
3. Add chicken, scallions, bell pepper and garlic. Cook stirring often until vegetables are softened (about 5 minutes). 
4. Sir in rice and seasoning/cayenne pepper. Add broth and tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 35 minutes).
6. If jambalaya still has excess moisture (this is common), cook uncovered for an additional 3-5 minutes. 
7. Sprinkle with reserved scallions and serve.

Yields 4 (1 1/2 cup) servings

Calorie info (per serving): 400 cal, 11 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 46 g protein, 29 g carb, 4 g fiber, 550 mg sodium

Healthy Recipe: Corn & Bacon Chowder

   I'm always searching for new cookbooks or websites devoted to healthy, quick recipes. Cookinglight.com is definitely one of the sites I visit the most! Earlier this fall, I was bored with my cooking repertoire and was searching for new ideas. When I ventured into the Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza one day during my lunch hour, I came across a great one by Weight Watchers. It's called the "New Complete Cookbook" and it contains over 500 recipes. Thus far, all of the meals I've prepared have been fantastic, so the $21.95 was well worth it!

   The corn and bacon chowder is right up there with versions of potato chowder I've enjoyed at restaurants for years. This thick, hearty soup is absolutely perfect for a crisp fall day (see the recipe below). I think the name is a bit of a misnomer because there are more potatoes in it than corn. Anyhow, this is what the chowder looks like when it's fully prepared (yum):

Ingredients

• 2 slices of turkey bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tbs water + 2 tsp water
• 1 onion, chopped (I used a yellow onion)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups whole corn kernels 
• 1/4 cup light cream

Directions

1. In a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon in 2 tbs of water until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel; discard the liquid.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and 2 tsp of water to the saucepan; saute until soft (about 5 mins). Add the broth and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are almost tender (about 15 mins). Stir in the corn; simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
3. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a food processor/blender; puree. Pour back into the saucepan; stir in the cream and heat to serving temperature. Serve topped with the bacon pieces. (I also used a dash of salt and grinded some fresh black pepper on top.)

Makes 4-6 servings depending on the size bowl you use

Calorie info: (1/4 of the batch) 209 cal; 8g fat; 4g sat fat; 0g trans fat; 22mg chol; 175mg sodium; 30g carb; 4g fiber; 6g protein; 28mg calcium

Reacqainting Myself with Calcium

   A routine visit to my doctor last week persuaded me that it was about time to find an alternative to drinking deluding myself to believe that I drink four, 8-oz glasses of milk per day or taking a calcium supplement in pill form. I bought 500 mg pills years ago, but they've sat in the cabinet ever since because they are so large and always require copious amounts of water to move down my throat. However, this summer I faithfully began taking a multivitamin (admittedly in gummy form), so I thought maybe there's something
                                                                            similar on the market for calcium?

    I stopped by GNC and what do you know? There's a chewy, caramel treat "pill" containing 600 mg of calcium and 800 IU of Vitamin D. When you unwrap the pill, it looks like this:

     I also ended up getting a deal -- buy 1, get 50% off the second bag. I've been taking them for almost a week now.  They taste great and I've experienced no aftertaste or discomfort, not to mention that a lot of the guilt I've been carrying around for years regarding this issue suddenly disappeared. 

     I would definitely recommend them to all, especially those of you susceptible to osteoporosis (risk factors: females of European or Asian descent, tall, smallish frame).  You can purchase them for $9.99/bag online here, or in any
GNC store. Here's to health and shopping...what a
great combo!